


In From the Cold

by IStay77



Category: The Young and the Restless
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 22:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16942002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IStay77/pseuds/IStay77
Summary: What happens after Mariah rescues Tessa from the woods.





	In From the Cold

**Author's Note:**

> I am on Twitter at @IStay77

Mariah drove home with a frozen passenger and the heat on full blast. Tessa appeared to be all cried out for now, but she was still shaking. The redhead tried to keep an eye on her while also watching the road, which was challenging. Tessa hadn’t spoken since they left the woods. Her panicked cries and sobbing had stopped as soon as they started moving. Concerned at the growing silence, Mariah reached across the center console and took hold of Tessa’s hand. When she felt a gentle squeeze, she squeezed back.

When they got home, Mariah helped Tessa inside. “I’ve got you,” she had said when she gently took the taller woman’s arm just outside of the car. Tessa accepted the help, too exhausted to get inside on her own. She was also a little terrified that she had imagined it when Mariah said she needed her. Her mind was stuck on the breaking up part that happened before that.

Once inside, Mariah quickly took off her coat and tossed it aside before reaching to help Tessa out of her coat. The musician was still shaking and her skin was cool to the touch. “Let’s warm you up in the shower,” Mariah said to her. “Then we can get under the blankets and get some rest?”

“Yeah, that would be great,” Tessa said, smirking a little sadly. Her voice was rough. Her eyes were puffy. Her cheeks were tear-stained. Mariah’s heart was breaking for her. Taking a step forward, the redhead reached out to frame Tessa’s face, thumbs wiping at wet cheeks.

“I love you,” she told her. “I’m not going anywhere.” She brought their lips together in a long, reassuring kiss before pulling back and resting their foreheads together, still cradling the taller woman’s face. Tessa’s hands were gripping Mariah’s arms as though they were lifelines. _She’s not leaving. She’s not leaving. She said she’s staying_.

“I’ll get you something to wear,” Mariah told her as they separated. Tessa nodded and headed for the shower. She turned the water on to warm it up and stripped naked. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, the musician had confirmation that she does indeed look as bad as she feels.

Stepping into the shower, she closed the door and stood under the stream of hot water. It was probably a little too hot, but Tessa welcomed the burn on her skin. She felt she deserved it. She deserved every single thing that happened tonight, including Mariah wanting to break up with her. It’s just a matter of time before she drives her away again. She is a bad person who has done bad things and probably will again. She didn’t deserve a happy ending.

As Tessa washed her face, she could see Nikki’s face. She could hear Nikki’s voice telling her she was a problem. She remembered that heart-stopping moment when she was convinced they were going to kill her. She remembered the moment she realized no one would miss her. Then Sharon apologizing and telling her to stay warm. God, Sharon. Tessa thought. I still have to tell Mariah that Sharon was in the car. I can’t tell her, it’ll kill her. And I can’t keep it from her. As Tessa realized she was already about to make another mistake with Mariah after just getting her back, she crumbled. It was hopeless. She was hopeless.

Mariah entered the room then, having brought Tessa a pair of pajamas after changing into her own. The first thing she noticed was the amount of steam filling the room. The second were the soft cries coming from the shower. “Tessa?” she asked as she gently opened the shower door.

“Tessa!”

The musician was huddled on the floor of the shower, arms wrapped around herself, surrounded by steam, and body shaking with sobs. Mariah reached in and turned off the water. Grabbing a towel, she stepped into the shower and crouched down, covering Tessa with the soft fabric. Putting an arm around her shoulders, Mariah sat down and pulled the taller woman into her, face in her neck very much as it was in the car earlier tonight. She kissed Tessa’s forehead and held her tightly with both arms.

“It’s okay,” Mariah softly said to her. “You’re safe.”

“Mariah?” Tessa said after a couple of minutes.

“Yes, baby” Mariah said, kissing her forehead again.

“Your clothes are all wet,” she deadpanned.

“Ha,” Mariah laughed. “That’s because I’m sitting in a shower.” She rubbed her hands over Tessa’s arms to try to keep her warm. She wanted to get her out of the shower, but she didn’t want to push. Tessa had just been kidnapped, interrogated, and left alone in the woods. She didn’t need to feel like she was handling it wrong. It might make her shut down and Mariah wanted her to keep opening up. She knew what a traumatic event could do to a person. God, if only she could get her hands on Nikki and Victoria. But, that had to wait.

“I’m sorry,” Tessa said into the side of her neck.

“What? No,” Mariah shook her head, her tone light and teasing. “I got into this shower on my own. I knew what I was getting into.”

“No, not that,” Tessa breathed. She pulled back in Mariah’s arms so she could look her in the eyes. “There’s something else. Something I left out.” Tessa’s eyes fell, ashamed. She felt a hand on her chin, gently tilting her face back up.

“I love you,” Mariah said to her, reassuringly. “You can tell me.” Tessa studied her eyes for a moment. She was looking for any warning signs, any hint that this wasn’t real, that Mariah would bail. She didn’t see any. She took a deep breath as Mariah’s hand left her chin to stroke her face.

“Sharon.” Tessa’s eyes were filled with worry and guilt. “Sharon was there.”

Mariah’s face fell. She felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. Her heart started to race and she was breathing faster. Her mother? Her mother kidnapped her girlfriend? Left her terrified and alone in the woods in the middle of December? Her own mother? The betrayal Mariah felt was instant and nauseating. She wanted to scream. She wanted to find Sharon and tell her to stay away from Tessa, from them, threaten her if necessary.

But, as Mariah looked down into Tessa’s eyes, the angry flame in her belly began to burn out. Tessa had left Sharon out of the original story to protect her. Now, she was telling her to protect _them_.

Holding Tessa’s face in her hands, Mariah held her gaze, tilting her own head slightly to the side. “No, Tessa,” she finally said. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I told them it was you. You trusted me and I betrayed that trust and put you in danger. God, if I thought for even one second they would…” she trailed off then, face filled with regret. Tessa’s eyes, fatigued from crying, softened. She moved her head to the side to plant a kiss on the palm holding her face, leaning herself into the comfort.

“I know,” Tessa said. “I was blackmailing your mother. I don’t think I have a right to be upset that you told her.”

“No,” Mariah insisted. She tilted Tessa’s face up to hers. “I want you to really hear what I’m saying,” she said, briefly leaning in to kiss soft lips. “I was hurt and felt betrayed, which is fair, but I didn’t take any time to actually think about why you did it. I meant what I said earlier. The world you have always lived in has been cruel and you have had to fight for yourself and for Crystal. I forgot what it’s like to never feel safe unless you have your next con lined up. I forgot so quickly the kind of world you came from because I was too wrapped up in my own feelings.”

Adjusting the towel around Tessa’s shoulders, Mariah used it to pull the other woman even closer. “I see you, Tessa,” her eyes bored into the musician’s. “I see you and I love you,” she choked out, emotions overwhelming her. Kissing her them, Mariah felt how cold her lips were and pulled back. “I guess the hot shower was a bust. Let’s get you some dry clothes and go to bed. Yeah?” Tessa nodded.

Mariah stood, reaching down to help Tessa up as well. Stepping out of the shower, the redhead helped the other woman finish drying off before handing her the shirt and pajama bottoms she had brought in earlier. “I am going to change and will meet you in bed in two minutes,” she leaned in for a quick kiss before leaving the room.

Mariah changed into pajama bottoms and a tank top before working on shifting the couch into a bed. Once that was done, she busied herself fluffing the pillows and straightening the blankets. Now that she had a few moments to herself, images from the night started popping up into her head. She remembered pulling up to the location her GPS directed her to and seeing Tessa in the headlights huddled on the side of the road. The panic she felt in her entire body in that moment. She had been imagining the worst possible scenarios on the drive over. What would she find when she got there? Would Tessa be hurt? Would she be bloody and bruised?

Fear took a vice-like grip on the redhead’s heart as she had sped off to find Tessa. It was only then that she had really thought about the possibility of losing her. It was then that Mariah began to realize that maybe love is enough. They had a lot to work through, but she wanted to put the work in if Tessa did, if Tessa was willing to let her in.

When the taller woman had flung herself into Mariah’s arms, it was the biggest expression of emotion she had ever shown in front of her. She wasn’t pretending. She wasn’t lying. She was terrified, stripped down of all pretenses and walls. Hearing the way Tessa talked about herself after that was heartbreaking, but it was honest and real. It felt like she was finally letting her in. Mariah wasn’t so naïve to think that all of their problems were going to be solved overnight, but now she knew Tessa truly trusted her. Tessa showed her true self. Every dark thought she had about herself and the things she’s done. Mariah knew Tessa was broken, she was broken, too. Now that it was all out in the open they could work on repairing what went wrong between them.

Turning from her thoughts, Mariah noticed that Tessa had walked into the room and was standing quietly looking at her. The taller woman appeared to be unsure and conflicted. The way her head was hanging, she looked so small. Mariah’s heart broke all over again.

“Hey,” the redhead said, walking over to Tessa and taking her hands. “You ready to get some sleep?”

“Yeah,” Tessa replied softly, her eyes making brief contact with Mariah’s. The talk show host regarded her for a moment. She took in the puffy eyes, the red cheeks, the quiet demeanor. Tessa was closing in on herself, which was the last thing Mariah wanted. She wanted, no needed, her to keep communicating.

Taking Tessa’s face in her hands, Mariah brought their lips together briefly. She tried to pour every ounce of love into the kiss. She needed Tessa to know she was needed. Pulling back, but keeping their faces close together, Mariah held the taller woman’s face the way she had when they arrived home.

“I know that you’re scared right now,” she told Tessa. “And I know that your instinct is to shut down and hide, but I’m begging you, don’t. Don’t hide from me,” Mariah held eye contact when Tessa tried to look down. “Please?”

“I deserved everything that happened tonight, except for you. I don’t deserve you.” Tessa stated. She was drained of energy and tired from crying.

“What you deserve is to be loved, to be safe. I know exactly how hard it will be for you to forgive yourself for the things you’ve done. But, you will. And I will be there every step of the way, okay?” Tessa nodded, though Mariah knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Still, she had been through enough for today. “I’ll get the lights. Then if it’s okay with you, I would really like to hold you.” Tessa nodded again, this time with a small smile on her lips. Being in Mariah’s arms tonight was not something Tessa thought would be an option when the day started. Mariah kissed her one more time before releasing her face and heading for the light switch by the door.

When Mariah got into bed, she immediately reached for Tessa. While the redhead laid on her back, the taller woman folded into her side, her head resting in the space between Mariah’s neck and shoulder. When Tessa rested her arm across Mariah’s stomach, she felt two strong arms envelope her, holding her tight. A pair of soft lips kissed her head and she began to cry. Mariah just held her tighter, whispering reassuring things to her. She knew she couldn’t take away the pain. She knew Tessa had to deal with it and cry it out.

“What?” Mariah asked after hearing Tessa’s quiet voice. Tessa had been trying to say something, but kept crying and couldn’t get it out. These weren’t pained sobs like the ones she had earlier in the night. Most of her energy was gone.

“I thought they were going to kill me,” she finally whispered, face still in Mariah’s neck. “They said I was a problem because I knew about J.T.”

Mariah felt the anger swell up in her belly again. She was furious. She was angry and disappointed in Sharon and really didn’t want to see Nikki or Victoria ever again. Would they have really killed Tessa? Mariah doubted it, but she couldn’t be 100% sure. One thing was for certain and that’s that Tessa had believed they were going to kill her. Whatever they did or said had convinced her.

“Tessa, I’m so sorry,” Mariah said, kissing her head again and stroking her hair. “You’re safe now. I promise I will protect you.” Tears were now swelling up in Mariah’s eyes as the evening’s events were replaying in her mind. _God, had she really almost lost Tessa tonight?_

“Please don’t leave,” Tessa whispered into Mariah’s neck, closing her eyes and holding the redhead tighter. “Please?”

“I’ve got you, baby,” Mariah told her, choking back her own sobs. She continued to hold the musician, stroking her hair, kissing her head. Eventually, Tessa’s breathing slowed and steadied. Mariah closed her eyes, letting the tears fall from them. She silently thanked God that they got through this day to the other side and are still together. Mariah knew there was a long road ahead of them, but she had hope for the first time in weeks. Tomorrow they would start picking up the pieces and putting them back together. Tomorrow and every day after, Mariah told herself, I will never leave her side again.


End file.
